Stamp-affixing machine



(No Model.)

W. A. OARNEY. STAMP AFFIXING MACHINE.

No. 590,824. Patented Sept. 28,1897.

' Jim UNITED STATES PATENT OFF1CE.

WILLIAM CARNEY, or SANTA PAULA, CALIFORNIA.

STAM P-AFFlXllNG MACHIN E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 590,824, dated September 28, 1897.

' Application filed November 5,1896} Serial No. 611,096. (No model.)

To all It'll/07711 it may concern..-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. OARNEY, a resident of Santa Paula, in the county of Ventura and State of California, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Stamp-Affixing Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

. exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in stamp-aflixing machines, the object being to provide a means for automatically dampening'the paper and affixing a stamp and causing the parts to resume their normal positions.

With these objects in View my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in section of the machine. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views.

A represents the body or f rameof the stam paflixing machine. This is in the general form of a vertical frame open on two sides and oblong in horizontal cross-section.

Plunger B is fitted to the interior of the elongated portion of the body or frame and is constructed to move up and down therein, it being guided in its movements by the said elongation. Suspended from the lower end of the plunger by means of the straps'or supports 2 2 is a detachable chamber 3 for the reception of stamps. The chamber is slotted longitudinally on two sides, as at 4 4, and pins 5 5 on two sides of the lower end of the plunger fit in said slots. Hinged catches 6 6 are attached at two sides of this chamber over said slots, and springs, as at 7 7, cause these catches normally to remain close against the sides of the chamber. The lower ends 8 8 of these catches extend inward slightly to support and hold the stamps. When forced open by the pins 5 5, the catches just clear the stamps, thus permitting the escape of the stamps one by one from the chamber. To hold the stamps at the bottom of the chamher, a follower 9 is placed within the cham ber above the stamps and is adapted to move freely therein.

The stem 10 of the plunger is hollow and has connected with its upper end a handle, which is preferably made of wood-11 and removable therefrom.- The stem is longitudinally slotted on each side, as at 12 l2, and inside of the tubular stem is a spiral spring 13, one end of which bears on a pin let, which extends through the upper or elongated portion of the frame or body and also through the slots 12 12, and the upper end of the spring abuts against the upper end of the closed tubular stem. The function of this spring is normally to hold the plunger upward andto return it to this position when the pressure from it is removed.

Attached to two sides of the chamber and extending upwardly therefrom are rods 15 15, which pass through openings in the collar 16 on the tubular stem. On these rods are light spiral springs 17 17, and the lower ends of these springs rest on the collars 18 18 on said rods and the upper ends of these springs abut against the collar on the tubular stem. The function of these springs isto exert pressure on the chamber in the act of affixin g a stamp, so as to cause the chamber to remain against the paper until the catches 6 6 are permitted to spring inwardly and resume their normal positions and thus support the stamps within the chamber when the plunger rises.

A box 19 is pivoted to turn freely upon the shaft 20, and this shaft is journaled in said machine at one side thereof and out of the, way of the plunger. The box carries a moistening-sponge which is adapted to moisten the paper and be moved backward out of the way of descending plunger. For rocking said shaft to move the sponge-cup outward and inward a crank-arm 21 is attached to one of the outer ends of the shaft, and this arm is connected with a rod or pitman22, which extends from said crank-arm to a pin 23 in the outer edge of the collar 16 on the tubular stern, so that the sponge-cup is operated by the movement of the plunger.

The stamps are placed in the chamber 3 with the mucilage side downward. The chamher can be filled through its open lower'end by depressing the plunger, inverting the machine, and shoving up the chamber until-the catches thereon engage with the pins on the lower part of the plunger. Then by allowing the plunger to rise the catches spring inwardly and support and hold the stamps. This ascent of the plunger causes the spongecup to resume its normal position directly beneath the chamber. Then to affix a stamp the operator forces the plunger downward until the chamber rests upon the paper, when the pins on the lower part of the plunger cause the hinged catches to open, thereby permitting a stamp by the blow of the plunger to be stuck to the dampened paper which was moistened by the sponge-cup as it retreated. The plunger is then permitted to rise and the several movable parts resume their normal positions.

It is evident that slight changes might be made in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a stamp-aflixing machine, thecombination with a frame or body portion, and a spring-actuated plunger sliding up and down therein, of a removable stampqnagazine, devices for detachably connecting it to the plungerand springs connected with the magazine for retaining it yieldingly in position relative to the plunger when the latter operates to slide in the magazine.

2. In a stamp-affixing machine, the combination with a frame or body portion, and a plunger having projections thereon, of a stamp -magazine having vertical slots out through which the projections extend and through which they slide,and spring-actuated latches normally closing the slots in the magazine and projecting beneath the stamps, said catches inclined at their upper edges whereby they are caused to open or swing aside as the projections on the plunger engage them.

In a stamp-affixing machine, the combination with a frame or body portion, and a plunger operating therein, of a stamp-magazine detachably connected with the plungerand in which the plunger slides, said magazine having rods which pass loosely through acollar on the plunger-rod, and springs which bear on the collar.

4. In a stamp-affixing machine, the combination with a frame or body portion, aplunger, a stamp-magazine suspended on the plunger, said magazine having rods which extend loosely through a collar on the plunger, and springs surrounding these rods and bearing downwardly upon the rods and upwardly upon the collar, of a rocking stamp- Inoistener, and means extending from the collar to the moistener to rock the latter over as the plunger is depressed.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

IVILLIAM A. CARNEY.

Witnesses:

R. W. FENN, R. W. CLARK. 

